Bat's Interesting!

Bats help farmers save £649million every year by controlling pests on corn crops, says study.

16:29 15 September 2015

A team of researchers have conducted a study to determine how effective are bats in terms of providing a pest control service to corn farmers. Using a number of enclosures (controlled, open-air experimental areas) measuring 20 metres by 20 metres and seven metres high, the team concluded: "We estimate that the suppression of herbivory by insectivorous bats is worth more than US$1bn globally on this crop alone."

 

Co-author Josiah Maine from Southern Illinois University, added: "The results of this study are a testament to the value of ecosystem services.”

 

"Bear in mind that this figure does not take into account for the impacts of bats on the fungal diseases we found in the corn, or the micro-toxins produced by those fungal species.

 

"It also does not account for the reduced amount of pesticides used in fields, as bats could be providing an additional valuable service to agriculture by suppressing pest populations below the threshold where pesticides are necessary."

 

Sadly, several bat populations are under threat from a disease called White-Nose Syndrome which has killed millions of bats since 2007. Estimates from the US National Wildlife Health Centre revealed that bat populations in the north-east of the country have declined by about 80per cent since the first reported cases of bat fatalities as a result of the disease.

 

IUCN's Bat Specialist Group (BSG), said: "They are among the most endangered of the world's creatures, primarily because much of their habitat has been eliminated by human development or because they are persecuted.

"Their loss has serious consequences for the ecosystems to which they belong."